ADM107: Coping With Crises and Traumatic Events

Handout

Welcome to ADM107

The goal of this course is to provide information that will reduce the threat to children, families, and the facility in the event of a crisis or traumatic event (emergency or disaster) inside or immediately surrounding the facility, as well as help children and families recover and cope after an emergency, disaster, or traumatic event.

Course Objectives:

By taking notes on the handout and successfully answering assessment questions, participants will meet the following objectives as a result of taking this course:

Differentiate between an emergency and a disaster

Identify recommendations for storage of emergency food, water, and other basic supplies

Identify recommendations for continuity of business following a disaster

Identify basic requirements regarding disaster planning and preparedness

Identify and differentiate between responsibilities of administrators and staff members during

and after disasters

Define mitigation as it relates to emergency management

Identify the importance of promoting resilience in children

Define and demonstrate understanding of impact and relief

Identify typical responses of children in various age groups to disaster

Identify recommended strategies and practices for helping children and adults cope in the

aftermath of a disaster

Identify recommended safe practices and policies for responding to various types of disasters and security threats, including tornadoes, storms, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks

Identify recommended strategies and practices for coping with the death of a child, death of a loved one, incarceration of a parent, or major financial troubles within a family

References:

1. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2020). "Disaster: Helping Children Cope." Retrieved from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Helping-Children-After-A-Disaster-036.aspx

2. American Academy of Pediatrics & National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. (2019). Caring For Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 4th Edition.

Retrieved from https://nrckids.org/files/CFOC4%20pdf-%20FINAL.pdf 3. Center for Children and Youth. (2020). “Supporting Our Children in Difficult Times.” A division

of Jewish Family and Children’s Services. Retrieved from https://ccy.jfcs.org/supporting-our-children-in-difficult-times/

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). "Caring for Children in a Disaster: Teachers and Childcare: Planning and Preparing for Emergencies." Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/features/school-emergency-preparedness/index.html

5. Childcare Aware of America. (2021). "Emergency Preparedness." Retrieved from https://www.childcareaware.org/our-issues/crisis-and-disaster-resources/

6. Clinical Psychology Associates. (2013). "The Effects of Divorce on Children." Retrieved from http://cpancf.com/articles_files/efffectsdivorceonchildren.html

1 of 18

7. Ginsburg, K. & Jablow, M. (2014). "How to Support Your Child's Resilience in a Time of Crisis." Retrieved from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/How-to-Support-Your-Childs-Resilience-in-a-Time-of-Crisis.aspx

8. Grace, C. and Shores, E. (2010). Preparing for Disaster: What Every Early Childhood Director Needs to Know. Silver Spring, MD: Gryphon House.

9. HelpGuide. (2020). "Children and Divorce." Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/parenting-family/children-and-divorce.htm

10. Martin, J. (2011). Preschool Health and Safety Matters. Silver Spring, MD: Gryphon House. 11. Mental Health America. (2021). "Helping Children Cope with Tragedy Related Anxiety."

Retrieved from https://mhanational.org/helping-children-cope-tragedy-related-anxiety

12. National Center on Early Health and Wellness. (2020). "Emergency Preparedness Manual." Retrieved from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/emergency-preparedness-manual-early-childhood-programs.pdf

13. Pickhardt, C. (2011). "The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents." Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201112/the-impact-divorce-young-children-and-adolescents

14. Poehlmann-Tynan, J. (2020). “A Developmental Perspective on Children with Incarcerated Parents.” Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12392

15. Salek, E. & Ginsburg, K. (2014). "How Children of Different Ages Respond to Disasters." Retrieved from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/How-Children-of-Different-Ages-Respond-to-Disasters.aspx

Course Notes:

Use the space provided to record important information from this section of the course.

Define emergency:

Define disaster:

Important Fact

Each state is required to maintain a state disaster preparedness plan and a separate plan for responding to a __________________________________.

Basic Preparation: Food and First-Aid

Foundational Resource:

Supply of Food and Water for Disasters In areas where natural disasters (such as earthquakes, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods) occur,

a _____________________supply of food and water should be kept in stock for each child and staff member.

2 of 18

First-Aid and Emergency Supplies Additional First-Aid Kit Policies

•

•

•

The first-aid kit should contain at least the following items:

Disposable nonporous, latex-free, or non-powdered latex gloves (latex-free recommended)

Scissors

Tweezers

Non-glass, non-mercury thermometer to measure a child's temperature

Bandage tape

Sterile gauze pads

Flexible roller gauze

Triangular bandages

Safety pins

Eye patch or dressing

Pen/pencil and notepad

Cold pack

Current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) standard first-aid chart or equivalent first-aid

guide such as the AAP Pediatric First-Aid for Caregivers and Teachers (PedFACTS) Manual

A charged cell phone

Two liters of sterile water for cleaning wounds or eyes

Liquid soap to wash injury and hand sanitizer, used with supervision, if hands are not visibly soiled or if no water is present

Tissues

Wipes

Individually wrapped sanitary pads to contain bleeding of injuries

Adhesive strip bandages, plastic bags for cloths, gauze, and other materials used in handling

blood

Flashlight

Whistle

Additional Comments:

Disaster Planning Overview

Written Emergency/Disaster Plan Basics

3 of 18

The Emergency/Disaster Plan should include: a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

h)

i)

1)

2)

3)

4)

4 of 18

5)

6)

7)

Program Leaders′ Responsibilities

Measures to Protect the Children and Staff

Shelter-in-Place

Lock Down

Building Evacuation

Offsite Relocation

Mandatory Closings

The leader's job is to make sure:

Measures to Reduce Risk

Define mitigation:

Examples of mitigation:

5 of 18

Get to Know Your Nearby Schools and Officials

Establish Key Contacts

Building Modifications

Planning for Business Continuity

Records Back-up

Inventory

Insurance

Disaster Fund

Communication

6 of 18

Relevant Agencies′ Contact Info

Communicating with Parents/Guardians

Staff Planning and Training Sessions

Staff Member's Responsibilities

Infection Control

7 of 18

First-Aid

Shelter-in-Place

Evacuations

Relocations

Helping Children Cope

Promoting Resilience in Children

Emergency and Evacuation Drills

The facility should have a policy documenting that emergency drills should be regularly practiced, including:

8 of 18

Responding to Crises, Disasters and Traumatic Events

Natural Disasters Technical Disasters Attacks

Health Emergencies:

Recommendations for Natural Disasters

Earthquakes

9 of 18

Floods

Hurricanes

Tornados and Severe Thunderstorms

Wildfires

10 of 18

Winter Storms

Recommendations for Chemical Hazards

Prepare to Shelter-In-Place During Chemical Events

Recommendations for Disease Outbreak

11 of 18

Attacks or Acts of Violence

Community Violence

Family Violence

Active Shooter

Terrorism

Recovering from Disaster

Emergency preparedness professionals divide emergency response into two distinct phases:

12 of 18

Impact period:

Relief period:

Planning for Recovery

Long-Term Planning

Support for Children and Families Common Children's Reactions to Disaster

Infants & Toddlers (Birth to 2 years)

Preschoolers (3 to 6 years)

School-Age (7 to 10 years)

13 of 18

Pre-Adolescence to Adolescence (11 to 18 years)

Meeting the Child's Emotional Needs

Talking to Children about Disasters

Important Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers

Disaster-Related Stress in Adults

14 of 18

Family Crises Coping with Death

Loss of a Family Member

Divorce

Incarceration of a Family Member

Financial Issues

15 of 18

ADM107: Coping With Crises and Traumatic Events

Try This Activities!

Try This!

Map It!

Identify routes and locations for sheltering-in-place or evacuation. Be sure to advise families and local emergency agencies about where you plan to be in advance.

Try This!

Evacuation Kit

Prepare an evacuation kit with:

The offsite relocation plans

First-aid supplies

Child nametags

Child and employee rosters

Goggles

Disposable breathing masks for all children and adults

Critical medical information

Gallons of water

Food in individual jars or wrappers

Games

Books

Other materials to keep children occupied

Try This!

Create an Action Checklist

Create a checklist so that the planning team can delegate specific tasks after a disaster to provide

effective support to children, families, and staff. This checklist would be based on your emergency preparedness plan and related to specific emergencies. This will offer a framework to reduce confusion in the days after the disaster.

You will want to consider:

The need

The action

The person responsible

The resources needed

The timeline

16 of 18

Try This!

Make It a Date!

Perhaps the most important tool for disaster preparedness is your calendar or datebook. If you write down the specific disaster readiness tasks you intend to accomplish on specific dates throughout your program′s year, you will be much more likely to complete them.

Use your datebook for everything from contacting your local emergency management agency to holding regular staff workshops to remembering when hurricane and tornado seasons begin. Schedule staff planning sessions on the important responsibilities of disaster preparedness.

Additional recommended resources for planning and preparation:

A variety of planning worksheets, including a Disaster Readiness Master Plan, are available in Preparing for Disaster: What Every Early Childhood Director Needs to Know.

Emergency Preparedness on ChildCare Aware of America includes sample forms to help you

create emergency plans.

The Head Start Emergency Preparedness Manual by Amanda Schwartz has many tools for emergency preparedness planning.

Try This!

Developmentally Appropriate Planning Activities for Children

As a child care professional, you never want to cause unnecessary fear or stress among children,

especially regarding events or situations they have no control over. However, you can help them understand the importance of being prepared! You can teach them valuable preparation skills without scaring them. Children can grasp the concept of "just in case," which is why they are willing and able to line up during fire drills.

FEMA has prepared resources appropriate for children, families, and teachers at www.ready.gov. Please be sure to browse the content and consider incorporating some of these valuable resources into your curriculum and making them available to families:

Kids

Educators & Organizations

Families

Try This!

Create a Safety Zone

If you are in an area prone to wildfires, create a 30 to 100-foot safety zone around your center. Within this area, you can take steps to reduce potential exposure to flames and radiant heat. Basically, the goal is to reduce available fuel on the site.

Buildings built in pine forests should have a minimum safety zone of 100 feet. If your building sits on a steep slope, standard protective measures may not suffice.

Contact your local fire department or forestry office for additional information.

Rake leaves, dead limbs, and twigs. Clear all flammable vegetation.

Remove leaves and rubbish from under structures.

Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns and remove limbs within 15 feet of the ground.

Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.

Prune tree branches and shrubs within 15 feet of a stovepipe or chimney outlet.

Ask the power company to clear branches from power lines.

17 of 18

Remove vines from the walls of the building.

Mow grass regularly.

Store gasoline, oily rags, and other flammable materials in approved safety cans. Place cans in

a safe location away from the base of your building.

Prepare/update a list of your center′s contents for possible insurance claims.

18 of 18